This week’s pictorial trip down memory lane is Dundee basketball scenes and team pictures from the past.
These striking DC Thomson photos span the decades – from the 1950s to the noughties – and they are sure to stir some fond memories.
Thomas Mack Hermiston, a former Dundee PE teacher and one of the last Second World War Chindits, is widely credited with bringing the sport to the city.
The game’s popularity started to boom in the 1970s and 1980s.
Did you play the game?
Enjoy having another browse back through the ages courtesy of The Dundonian, which appears in the Evening Telegraph every Wednesday.
Some of these photographs have not been seen for years.
Do they awaken any memories for you?
Basketball on ice
Basketball on ice arrived in Dundee in February 1954.
Dundee Hurricanes were defeated in their first home match at Kingsway Rink against Aberdeen Wildcats who were the pioneers of the sport.
They played over three periods of 20 minutes.
NCR basketball team
Dundee NCR basketball team was formed in 1953 and played at Ward Road Gym.
NCR transformed how factories were operated when it came to the city in 1946 and at its peak in the early 1970s employed more than 6,000 people.
They sometimes played games against visiting teams from America.
Morgan Academy
Check out some of these haircuts and facial hair from December 1973.
Pictured are, from left, Bruce Mitchell, Richard Bueckardt, Alex Meldrum, John Doig and Jim Blair from the Morgan Academy Former Pupils’ basketball team.
Do you remember these guys?
Dundee Wasps
Dundee Wasps basketball team in 1977 photographed from an unusual angle.
Pictured are, from left, Patience Mundangepfupfu, Shona Bryan, Irene Kaye, Jean Cleghorn, Ann Williamson, Elaine Ferrie, Susan Aberdein and Patricia McWalter.
Did any of these girls go on to greater success in the game?
Ardler Bullets
The final of the Tayside Basketball Cup was held at Forfar Leisure Centre in April 1978 between the Ardler Bullets and Brechin Basketball Club.
With a much greater height advantage, Ardler Bullets were first to find the basket and managed to keep at least 10 points ahead throughout.
They won the game 66-46.
Douglas All-Stars
The Douglas All-Stars basketball team lining up in October 1978.
Women’s basketball became more popular in the 1970s and debuted at the 1976 Olympic Games in Canada which was won by the Soviet Union.
It forged a path for the women’s game.
Dundee success story
Dundee Wasps basketball team in November 1983.
The ladies team were successful domestically and performed in local and national tournaments across the UK as well as competitions across Europe.
Can you recognise anyone in the line up?
Menzieshill Princes
The Menzieshill Princes in action in the game they retained the Tom Hermiston Basketball Trophy at Dundee University sports complex in May 1984.
Tom, who died aged 103 in 2020, returned from war service to become PE teacher at Morgan Academy and is widely credited with bringing basketball to the city.
The regional Tom Hermiston Cup is still contested each year.
Basketball class
Brian Jenkins demonstrates his technique to a basketball class at Menzieshill Community Centre during Sport For All Week in August 1985.
Brian was one of the best players to play for the Menzieshill High team.
They picked up many honours over the years thanks to the skills of players such as Jim Pearson, Robin Paterson, Neil Lonie, Alan Brooks and Gary Barclay.
Tayside Police
Tayside Police basketball team were an arresting sight in March 1986.
A team whose players were all on shift work would run into availability problems now and then, but the Tayside Police team managed to get most of their fixtures played on Sunday evenings.
Their greatest success was winning the Scottish Police Cup in 1983.
Shooting hoops
A group of women shooting for the hoop at Douglas Sports Centre in March 1989.
The caption doesn’t say which team this is.
Can anyone help?
Dundee Mavericks
Dundee Mavericks basketball team was formed in 1990.
They were sponsored by Tofthill Taxis, which provided strips for the team.
Steve Smith was the captain in 1992 and Dundee Mavericks were one of only a handful of Scottish basketball teams for adults with special needs.
Whitfield High School
What goes up must come down…
It’s January 1994 and these girls from Whitfield High School’s basketball team were posing in the gym with strips which were sponsored by the Whitfield Partnership.
Whitfield High merged with Linlathen High in August 1996.
Dundee University
Children from all over Dundee were running off their holiday energy at Dundee University’s summer sports scheme in July 1994.
Each day, from 1pm to 5pm, the children, aged nine to 14, were put through their paces with swimming, basketball, hockey, squash, rounders, tennis, trampolining and many other activities.
It was the first week of a three-week scheme.
NCR anniversary
Around 120 primary school pupils took part in a basketball tournament to mark Dundee NCR basketball team’s 50th anniversary in May 2003.
NCR were one of the oldest surviving basketball clubs in Scotland.
They were nominated as Dundee’s team of the year in recognition of the milestone.
It is the final image in our basketball gallery.
Did they awaken any memories for you?
Let us know.
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